Mapping Afghanistan's pre-election polling

Afghanistan braced itself for a presidential election that could be the first truly game-changing event in the country since the 2001 US-led invasion - and according to a local poll commissioned by Al Jazeera, 69 percent say the country will improve over the next five years.

For one thing, the April 5 election will see Afghans choose from a field of candidates that does not include current President Hamid Karzai, who has been in charge for nearly 13 years.

The April 5 poll is also seen as the country's first free breath - an election largely untouched and untainted by the West. However, security concerns in the lead-up to the vote and a history of fraud threaten to undermine public confidence in the poll's outcome.

The Al Jazeera SMS survey, conducted by Impassion, indicates that 79.3 percent of the 992 participants plan to vote, despite repeated promises of violence from the Taliban.

Indeed, the poll, conducted March 16-25, took place after Taliban attacks on hotels, markets and elections commission offices had started.